Morning News: With Greece in Arrears, New Travel Advice

A little preparation should help travelers to Greece avoid major problems this summer, experts say.

In Greece, “foreign credit cards continue to be used without any problems or limitations even with the banks closed,” says Christos Stergiou, a travel specialist at TrueGreece. “Dozens of our guests already in Greece continue to enjoy their vacation to the fullest,” he says. Another Greece specialist, Leftheris Papageorgiou, echoes that sentiment in an email. “I am on holiday on the lovely island of Skiathos,” he writes. “Travel has been fun and safe, and the dire economic situation that has befallen Greece is not effecting anything that the tourists want to do.” Anyone traveling to the country this summer, Stergiou advises, should arrive with some euros already in hand, since “the queues at the ATMs are expected to be long so withdrawing cash from your foreign account may be difficult.” Other Greece experts concur that, at least for tourists using credit cards, things are fairly typical. (Condé Nast Traveler)

Emirates continued its public fight with U.S. carriers that say the Middle Eastern airline has received improper subsidies, calling the accusations “patently false” and posting a 193-page “rebuttal document” online that addresses the charges made by the trade group Partnership for Open and Fair Skies. Emirates offers “84 flights each week from nine [U.S.] gateways,” and it claims to have “average seat load factors of over 80%” on flights to the U.S. (By comparison, domestic airlines have a load factor, or percentage of seats filled, of about 83% so far this year, according to the Department of Transportation.)

“The United States and Cuba will announce an agreement on Wednesday to reopen embassies in each other’s capitals,” the Times reports. (NYT)

The TSA is getting into the “passenger shaming” game, Gary Leff writes, which seems at odds with the agency’s mission. (View from the Wing)

The world’s first Canopy by Hilton hotel will be in Reykjavik, the company announced, with a planned opening date of “March 2016.” Canopy is one of an ever-expanding constellation of spin-off brands that major hotel groups are rolling out to target specific demographic markets.

Still waiting to buy late-summer airfare? Rick Seaney says late August is a prime time for deals, when slack demand results in low prices. (USA Today)